Process for working up ferrovanadium containing products



I Patented Aug. 14, 1934' PATENT OFFICE rnocsss FOR woaxmo Ur FERBO- VANADIUM con'rammo rnonuc'rs Eugen 1mm, Lautawerk/Lausita, Germany, assignor to Otavi Minenund Elsenbahngesellschaft, Berlin, Germany, a. company of Germ ny No Drawing. Application October 25, 1933, Serial No. 695,215. In Germany October 28, 1932 2 claims, (01. 15-11) This invention refers to the treatment of vanadium containing products, especially vanadium containing slags.

As is well-known the production of ferrova- 6 nadium is preferably effected by aluminothermic reduction of vanadic acid. In this way products are obtained which in addition to alumina, magnesia, a little iron, silicic acid and other impurities have a not inconsiderable vanadium content,

10 and inasmuch represent a valuable material.

The working ,up of these products containingcarried out thus have not led to any useful result. The vanadium content of the fused metal alloy was too small for a marketable ferrovanadium and was uncertain; the silicon amounted up to 6%, and the carbon content up to 10%. Also the corundum produced in this way contained more or less much carbide. The furnace operation was irregular and therefore difllcult to control.

It was not possible either however to work up the metal alloy obtained by acid treatment, since this alloy is practically and economically insolu-- ble in acid. For the most part, therefore, the expensive disintegration by means of soda was used.

The purpose of the present invention is to remove these disadvantages.

According to the invention the products containing vanadium are, without any other addition, than reducing materials, fused in an electric furnace, having for example a magnesite lining and a magnesite bottom. In this way an alloy having a high content of ferrovanadium is obtained and a corundum'which is practically free from vanadium and carbon and therefore marketable. The corundum and the metal alloy can be separated very simply and the corundum conveniently drawn off. The furnace operation is perfectly normal and therefore can be easily controlled.

As alreadystated the metal alloy obtained is rich in vanadium and indeed contains about 70% and more" of this metal, together with a'littie silicon and about 8% of carbon.

65 'lhismetaliscomminutedorgroundandheatingsor filings and carbon or coal. Operationsed to incandescence in order to oxidize the metal, during which operation the vanadium is converted into v9.0: and the carbide is burnt off as well.

' A practically pure mixture of oxides of vanadium and iron results. This is fused, for example aluminothermically, to a practically pure ferrovanadium. V

A further advantage of the process is also to be seen in the fact that the vanadium is not converted into its highest oxidation stage during the oxidizing heating of the ferrovanadium. This is very favourable since this lower oxide requires less aluminium during the aluminothermic process. I

The conversion of the metals into their oxides can be dispensed with if the comminuted alloy can be added to a process in which the oxidation is effected.

What I claim is:-

1. A process for working up vanadium containing slags consisting in fusing the said slags 'with the only addition of reducing agents in an electric furnace, oxidizing the resulting impure ferrovanadium by heating the same to about incandescence in an oxidizing atmosphere and reso covering a pure ferrovanadium in a suitable manner.

2. A process for. working up vanadium containing slags consisting in fusing the slags with the only addition of reducing materials in an 5 electric furnace, comminuting the resulting impure ferrovanadium, oxidizing the same by heating it to about incandescence in an oxidizing atmosphere and recovering a pure ferrovanadium .by aluminothermic reduction.

' EUGEN MAYR. 

